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Neighborhood Legal Services is a not-for-profit public interest law firm providing free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals. Its mission is to seek equitable justice by providing access to legal advice, representation, and education to those in our community who, due to financial vulnerability, disability, discrimination, or abuse, require protection and advancement of their civil legal rights.  It is the largest non-profit provider of civil legal services in Western New York.  Neighborhood Legal Services provides counsel for housing, prevention, family/divorce, public benefits, disability advocacy, student loans, and health insurance. This position is in our Niagara Falls office.

The Administrative Assistant will be responsible for general secretarial support, including answering the telephone and assisting receptionists when needed, typing, filing, copying, assisting attorneys and paralegals, and coordinating unit-wide projects.

Essential Responsibilities/ Functions:

• Review and format a variety of legal materials, including court filings, petitions, pleadings, motions, memoranda, letters, and reports.
• Review, format, and edit outgoing correspondence to ensure all legal documents and enclosures are in proper processing order and that correspondence is grammatically correct.
• Sort and distribute mail.
• Assist Attorneys and Paralegals as directed with answering inquiries over the phone or in person and managing secretarial and administrative details.
• Organize and maintain spreadsheets, files, and records of a confidential, complex, or otherwise sensitive nature.
• Provide backup for reception staff answering telephones and greeting clients.
• Manage own professional development; keep informed of new rules and processes pertinent to the organization; participate in continuing education and other appropriate training; develop specialty knowledge or areas consistent with the level of experience.
• Organize trainings and meetings for the unit.
• Work constructively as a team member with other NLS staff on advocacy projects consistent with program priorities.
• Perform diverse clerical work as directed by the Office Manager or Attorney staff.
• Conform to the rules and responsibilities applicable to all employees and perform all other assigned tasks.

Core Competencies:

• Strong personal work ethic and ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision;
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail-oriented;
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic and multi-sector team;
• Cultural humility in working with low-income clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and limited English proficiency; and
• Familiarity with diverse communities is a plus.

Education and Experience:

• Legal services background or knowledge of general civil legal work
• Experience working with vulnerable populations and knowledge of community resources
• Self-motivated and dependable
• Excellent communication skills for client contact and attorney interface
• Excellent writing skills with attention to detail and proofreading for written materials including court filings, correspondence, and other documents Understanding of the court filing system and its requirements
• Excellent organizational skills and calendaring awareness
• Document-drafting capability under the supervision of staff attorneys for court filings including how to format those documents
• Willingness to work as a team member and contribute to the efforts on any case
• Second language skills a plus but not required

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Work on-site in an office environment, including working at the workstation and attending meetings and trainings;
• Potentially traveling to meetings and hearings off-site;
• Use of computer and other office machines such as fax, photocopiers and telephones.
• Ability to lift up to 15 pounds occasionally.

DISCLAIMER
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Duties may change at any time with or without notice.

Salary:

Salary is based on years of relevant administrative experience and placement within Steps 1 through 22 of the salary scale. Step 1 of the salary scale correlates to the first year of qualifying administrative experience. Each progressive step reflects an additional year of relevant experience.

Prior credited experience will be calculated from the date the Employee began working in a qualifying administrative or legal support role. If there was a break in relevant employment, only applicable years of qualifying experience will be credited.

Current salary steps include but are not limited to:
• Step 1 – $ 43,000
• Step 5 – $ 50,979.85
• Step 10 – $ 57,000.20
• Step 15 – $62,727.00
• Step 22 – $69,525.00

Full-time position with a 35-hour work week and reduced summer hours.

NLS offers a comprehensive benefits package to its employees. This includes health, dental, and vision insurance, a generous PTO policy that includes: 3 weeks of vacation time, 12 paid holidays, plus a week of PTO between Christmas and New Year’s, reduced summer hours; additionally, employees have access to sick and personal leave, as well as eligibility for public student loan forgiveness. NLS also provides life insurance, a pension plan, HRA and Flexible Spending Accounts, paid memberships, and professional development.

Neighborhood Legal Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Neighborhood Legal Services is a not-for-profit public interest law firm providing free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals. Its mission is to seek equitable justice by providing access to legal advice, representation, and education to those in our community who, due to financial vulnerability, disability, discrimination, or abuse, require protection and advancement of their civil legal rights.  It is the largest non-profit provider of civil legal services in Western New York.  Neighborhood Legal Services provides counsel for housing, prevention, family/divorce, public benefits, disability advocacy, student loans, and health insurance. This position is in our Niagara Falls office.

The staff attorney will positively impact clients by maintaining a caseload of public benefits matters. The attorney will assist clients in obtaining or maintaining benefits including Temporary (cash) Assistance, SNAP, assistance with emergencies including homelessness, and overpayments from the Niagara County Department of Social Services.  Case work includes reviewing notices and other documents, advising clients about their benefits, negotiating with NCDSS, representing clients at Administrative Fair Hearings, and litigation. The Attorney will learn the substantive law, develop advocacy skills, and learn to identify and work on systemic issues. Training will be provided – whether you just passed the bar with admission pending or you are an experienced attorney.

Essential Responsibilities/ Functions:

• Handle all aspects of legal representation including client contact, pleading preparation, research, file maintenance, hearing and trial work, and work with support staff;
• Fulfill all grant and contract requirements through casework, time-keeping, and record-keeping;
• Develop and maintain a working knowledge of the areas of law that impact our clients;
• Identify other legal needs of clients to ensure that NLS can provide holistic representation and referrals;
• Collaborate and coordinate with other NLS staff and community partners to ensure effective referrals and holistic service delivery;
• Identify systemic problems that affect our clients’ rights;
• Conduct community outreach, education and training;
• Demonstrate cultural competency to work with clients of every race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and limited English proficiency;
• Maintain a current knowledge of developments in civil procedure and civil litigation law; and
• Develop an understanding of the social and economic forces that create poverty and inequality in our community.

Qualifications

• J.D. and NYS Bar Admission (considered if applicant has passed the bar exam with admission pending – training will be provided)
• Demonstrated commitment and cultural sensitivity to low-income and underserved
• Strong writing skills and verbal communication.
• Strong behavioral competencies.
• Strong attention to detail and follow up skills.
• Previous experience working with low-income and/or underserved communities preferred
• Second language fluency preferred

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Work in an office environment including working at workstation, attending meetings;
• Traveling to meetings and hearings off-site;
• Use of computer and other office machines such as fax, photocopiers and telephones; and
• Ability to work in the evenings and weekends as required to serve clients.

Salary:

The salary range for this position is $71000.00 – $120,913.76 depending on experience, with generous benefits, paid time off and opportunity for student loan forgiveness.

Salary is based on bar admission and years of experience. (Steps 1 through 22) Step 1 of the salary scale correlates to the first year of admission to the bar of any state, and date of commencement of the practice of law in that state. Each progressive step equals an additional year of experience.

Prior credited experience is calculated from the date of admission to the bar and the date of commencement of the practice of law in that state. If the Employee did not begin practicing law within six (6) months of being admitted, the prior experience shall be calculated on the date they began practicing law.

Current salary steps include but are not limited to:
Step 1 – $ 71,000.00
Step 5 – $ 78,156.78
Step 10 – $ 90,338.62
Step 15 – $101,873.70
Step 22 – $120,913.76

NLS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply. Employer recruits without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, ancestry, sex, gender (including identity or expression), sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or protected veteran status and any such candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

NLS VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY PROGRAM (VAP) offers attorneys a chance to volunteer their time and expertise.  No experience in the particular field is necessary and we will train you in the area you volunteer.

You can volunteer to assist with individual clients on an as-needed basis or with one of our Attorney of the Morning Programs (AMP). NLS staffs AMPs at Buffalo City Court (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) and Niagara Falls City Court (dates vary) to assist low-income tenants facing eviction.

Volunteers must be attorneys licensed to practice law in New York State, and in good standing with the Office of Court Administration (OCA).   Volunteers must immediately notify NLS of any changes in their status. Attorneys who register with NLS and are in good standing with OCA are covered under the NLS malpractice insurance policy for the NLS cases they accept.

In order to participate with NLS, you agree to:

• Represent clients referred by NLS and in accordance with the New York State Rules of Professional Conduct;
• Respond to periodic requests for updates by NLS;
• Complete all required NLS forms;
• Notify NLS upon completion of a matter, including the amount of time spent and the tasks completed;
• Notify NLS of any changes to the attorney’s contact information or areas of interest.

If interested, please contact [email protected]

NLS accepts student volunteers throughout the year in our various offices and areas of practice.  Undergraduate students and law students are encouraged to apply.  NLS also participates in externship programs and pro bono scholarship programs (such as the Buffalo Public Interest Law Program at UB Law School).

REQUIREMENTS  NLS requires students to treat their internship/externship/volunteer opportunity like a job.  Students must be punctual, professionally dressed and reliable.  Students must act in a professional manner with staff, clients and court personnel.

STUDENT PRACTICE ORDERS  NLS generally applies for student practice orders for law students who have completed at least two (2) semesters of law school and are volunteering for a semester or the summer.  The student practice order allows the students to appear in court under the supervision of an NLS attorney.

50 HOUR PRO BONO REQUIREMENT  NLS accepts law student volunteers who wish to complete their fifty (50) hour pro bono requirement to be admitted in New York State.

If interested, please email [email protected]